by Gerald Lopez
“What?” Bart said. “Who’s been stripping me down, soaping me up, and taking warm showers with me, bitch.”
“Oh, you’re gonna go there, huh,” Frank said, getting up from bed.
“Uh-oh,” Bart said, when he saw Frank coming for him. “Like you said, I’d better go get ready.” He went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. A second later, he opened it a crack and looked at Frank. “Feel free to use the other bathroom… bitch.” Then he quickly closed and locked the bathroom door.
“You’ve got to come out of there sometime,” Frank said.
Chapter 53
Playtime is Over
AFTER TAKING a shower and drying himself, Bart wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back into his bedroom. He was looking at the bed with his back turned to the door, when he heard a loud noise.
“Aaaa! Gotcha!” Frank yelled, as he tackled Bart onto the bed, straddled him, and began tickling his sides.
Bart laughed uncontrollably while trying to break free of Frank. “Stop… mercy… mercy.”
“Who’s the lil bitch now, eh,” Frank said, laughing and tickling Bart even more. “Oops my towel is slipping.”
“My, my, my,” Jenna said from the doorway of the bedroom, where she could see Frank naked on top of Bart, straddling him, and unknowingly mooning her. “Isn’t this a pretty picture.”
“Jenna!” Frank said.
“Please, don’t move on my account, I’m enjoying the view,” Jenna said.
Frank pointed at Bart. “He called me a bitch, so I had to tickle him to get even.” He tied the towel back around his waist.
“I don’t know, Frank,” Jenna said. “Jacking off with the boys is just a part of growing up, but this is altogether different. Well, I do sort of remember the other boys giving you a hand at the time.”
“It wasn’t his fault,” Bart said from under Frank. “His was just so big. Even back then, his was huge compared to ours. We all had to touch it. And it took both my hands to get around his man meat, even then.”
“I know,” Jenna said. “I remember.”
“Hold on,” Frank said. “What do you mean… you remember?”
“Your camping trip was just a week after you guys did a panty raid at Delia’s slumber party, so we girls decided to get even and get your underwear. Little did we know, we’d find you with your wienies in hand by the fire.”
Bart and Frank both gasped and covered their mouths.
“But that was a long time ago,” Jenna said. “And now, after I finally agreed to spend a week in the mountains with Frank—I walk in and see this. I just don’t know. It does seem awfully unusual. Some might say it even looks a little queer.”
Frank gasped, and Bart spoke. “Frank doesn’t have a gay bone in his body, I swear. He’s sure of his identity as a straight man.”
“I don’t know about that,” Jenna said.
“It’s true, Jenna, I swear,” Frank said. “I just had to get him back for calling me a bitch.”
“So, you’re getting him back by holding him down on the bed while he’s only wearing a towel, and straddling him while you’re also only wearing a towel—which was not on you when I walked in. Then to top it off, you’re administering a cruel tickling.”
“Yeah, exactly,” Frank said. “You totally get it.”
“Saying that isn’t exactly helping your case,” Jenna said.
“She’s right, you know,” Bart said. “That did sound kind of gay, even to me.”
“Dude, you know I’m an honest kind of guy,” Frank said.
“It’s true, Jenna, he is,” Bart said. “And how’d you get inside. Only Frank has a key.”
“I let him in here late last night and kept the key, so I could check on you two,” Jenna said. “But it looks like I’ve interrupted something, so I’ll go.” She turned to leave.
“No, Jenna,” Frank said. “I love you! I swear I’m not gay. I’ve only ever loved you my whole life, and I’ll prove it to you. Marry me, Jenna.”
Bart’s head bobbed up, and Jenna turned around.
“OK, I accept,” Jenna said.
“What?” Frank said.
“Once we finish this mission, I’ll take some time to look for my wedding trousseau,” Jenna said, leaning sexily against the doorframe. “Let’s see, I’ll need to go to that lingerie shop and buy one of those sheer, lacy white teddies. The kind that are all see-through, except for those small pieces of lace covering the goods. And, Frank?”
“Yeah,” Frank said in shock.
“I’m guessing you’re the type that would want me to wear white stockings with lace trim along the top.”
Frank nodded his head, while his mouth continued to hang open. “Yes, Ma’am, that would be awfully nice.”
“And of course, I’ll need some high, skinny stiletto heels to make sure my legs and butt look good, since the teddy will have a thong back.”
“Dude, stop pointing that thing at me,” Bart said. “You’re not helping matters.”
“Shut up, man,” Frank said. “Not everything’s about you. I’m thinking of her in a lacy white teddy and stiletto heels.”
“In a cabin with you, big boy,” Jenna said. She blew a kiss to Frank, then laughed. “It’s just too damn easy to play you men.”
“What?” Bart said, managing to squeeze out from under Frank. “Were you yanking our chains this whole time?” He sat up.
Frank turned and sat next to Bart. “She was playing us, dude.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Jenna said. “I know Frank’s not gay. He’s just a very, very cool guy.”
“She called me cool,” Frank said to Bart.
“It’s good that you two can have fun and burn off some steam before our plans go into action,” Jenna said. “But playtime is over, tonight everything has to be perfect.”
“We know that,” Frank said. “I still can’t believe you girls saw us jacking off.”
“You’re a bad girl, Jenna Chase,” Bart said. “You know how much Frank has loved you all these years, and you come in here talking about putting on a sexy teddy and all that. Shame on you.”
Frank slapped Bart’s shoulder. “Don’t go talking about my business, bitch.”
“Ow,” Bart said. “I’m trying to defend you, you bitch!”
“Don’t start that again,” Jenna said. “You two need to be getting ready to leave.”
Bart and Frank got up and headed to the dresser.
“Besides,” Jenna said, “I don’t remember saying I was joking about anything, except the whole gay thing. Frank’s an extremely attractive man and he’s settled down with a business of his own. He makes good money, and he’s a funny, sweet, honest man. And did I mention that I find him extremely attractive. Especially right now, when he’s almost naked and confused.”
“Say what?” Frank said.
“Frank,” Jenna said. “Just one more thing. I prefer platinum as opposed to gold, and make sure it’s at least a one carat engagement ring. That’s so your lil boyfriends, like Bart here, won’t think you’re cheap.” She gave Bart a kiss on the cheek, then Frank one.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Frank said. “Did you accept my proposal?”
“Let’s just say that my answer was as serious as your proposal,” Jenna said. “Later, boys.” She left the room with a smile on her face.
As soon as she was gone, Bart ran to Frank, they both looked at each other and yelled.
“What just happened?” Frank said. “Really, what just happened?”
“I am freakin’ out, Frank!” Bart said. “I’m pretty sure you just got engaged to Jenna!”
“Are you sure she wasn’t playing?”
“She said her answer was ‘as serious as your proposal’!”
“Oh my God,” Frank said. “I’m engaged to the woman of my dreams. Holy crap!”
After they took some time to calm down, Frank and Bart got dressed in shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flops, then went to lunch.
> IT WAS SEVEN o’clock at night, and Bart was eating Chinese take-out honey chicken and pork fried rice with Reese.
“So, Frank really bought an engagement ring today for Jenna,” Reese said. “What if she was just joking?”
Bart finished swallowing his food before answering. “Frank and I talked about it, and we decided Jenna wasn’t joking.”
“What makes you two so sure?”
“Jenna could never be that cruel to someone, especially to Frank,” Bart said. “She knows his feelings for her are real.”
“Maybe she was waiting to make sure Frank didn’t have just a schoolboy crush on her.”
“That and she was probably waiting to see him get settled,” Bart said.
“You’re talking about Jenna needing a businessman again, aren’t you?”
“She needs a man who’s strong and sure of himself; because, as you can see, she’s a pretty strong woman. Besides, she needed to finish her studies and get settled too.” Oops. I shouldn’t have mentioned that, Bart thought.
“Yeah, I guess you can go to school for sports type stuff,” Reese said. “I know coaches go to school, so I suppose trainers and exercise experts do too.”
“Something like that,” Bart said. “I’m not sure I understand all the details. I just know what they’ve told me since I’ve been back. I still have the ole amnesia.” He looked at Reese, who wore a white polo shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. “You’re overdressed tonight, I prefer you in Speedos without a shirt.”
“Sorry. I’ll be happy to slip out of these things for you later.”
When they were finished eating, Bart refreshed Reese’s drink, and slipped some of the knockout drug in it. Before long, they were naked in bed and enjoying themselves. Bart remembered to suggest the idea they had spent the night together to Reese and a few minutes after that, Reese was fast asleep. Like Jenna had said earlier in the day: playtime was over. Bart got dressed in the same clothes he had on earlier; except, he put on deck shoes instead of flip-flops. After kissing Reese on the cheek to make sure he was out, he left his apartment, locking the door behind him. He was halfway down the stairs when he ran into Jenna, who was in a dark T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. She also carried what looked like a soft, foam lunch box.
“What’re you doing here?” Bart said.
“We’ve got a problem,” Jenna said.
Chapter 54
Mistress of the Goods
“WHAT’S HAPPENED?” Bart said.
“Rachel’s three New York friends were taken to the ER at around seven p.m., due to suffering effects from chupa cocktails,” Jenna said. “Rachel must’ve gotten an early delivery, and started her party without us.”
As the two walked down the stairs, Alstair suddenly appeared in front of them and spoke. “Rachel still has some of the product in her room, but not much. Things are escalating faster than we thought, and this will probably be your only chance to get your hands on the chupa cocktail.”
“How do you know all this?” Bart said.
“I not only work for James, but I’ve also been working for Gabriel since he went to the island resort,” Alstair said. “We’ll talk more later. Go do what you have to do.” He walked off to his left, back toward the main resort.
Jenna looked at Bart and spoke. “He’s right, Jeremy. Don’t worry about him for now, we have a job to do.” She started walking, followed by Bart. When she was near Rachel’s door, she turned to Bart and spoke in a low voice. “There’s a lot at stake here, and I need you to do exactly as I say.” She took her cell phone out of her pocket and handed it to Bart. “If I say the word ‘dog’, I need you to open my cell phone and press the number five, then hang up.”
“OK, I understand,” Bart said. “I know what’s at stake here, and I’ll do ‘exactly as you say’. You can count on me.”
Jenna put her arm under and around Bart’s arm, patted it with her hand and smiled. “I know I can.”
“HI, COME ON in,” Rachel said, standing in her doorway.
“You have to move out of the way, so we can get in,” Bart said.
Rachel laughed so hard she snorted, then walked unsteadily into her apartment, followed by Jenna and Bart. The living room was still a mess from the last time they were there. Traces of the cocaine that had spilled were everywhere.
“I see housekeeping hasn’t been by,” Jenna said.
Rachel chuckled. “Oh, God no. Lucky for those New Yorkers. They came by early, so they could help me clean this place… with their noses.” She chuckled. “Get it… ‘their noses’. They snorted the crap from wherever it had landed. “That one goth wannabe girl, actually called me ‘the mistress of the goods’ when she saw that I had our special chupa cocktails for them.”
“Well, where are your friends now?” Bart said.
“Friends!” Rachel said. “Those bastards were no friends of mine! They took the chupa to go, because they had another party they were attending. Can you believe the nerve of some people? And they didn’t even invite me.”
“They probably thought the party would be beneath you,” Bart said, as he watched Jenna checking the room from the corner of his eye.
“Of course, it was beneath me, but that’s not the point,” Rachel said. “They left me behind, after I gave them extra chupa to take to the party for their friends.”
“That was kind of you,” Bart said. “Did you save any for yourself, or us?”
Rachel lifted up her chain, so Bart could see the clear vial on the end of it.
“All empty,” Rachel said. “And no more till next week. I don’t know what’s going on with the supply of this stuff, but I don’t like being shorted on merchandise.”
“Then maybe you should tell us who your suppliers are, and we can have a word with them,” Bart said.
“No, I couldn’t do that,” Rachel said.
“Why not?” Jenna said.
“For one thing, I don’t know who they are,” Rachel said.
“On the way here, I found out that your New Yorker friends are in the hospital,” Bart said to Rachel.
“Who told you that?” Rachel said.
“Never you mind,” Bart said. “I’m just thinking you might be in a heap of trouble, if one of them mentions where they got the chupa from.”
“They wouldn’t do that,” Rachel said.
“They might,” Bart said. “You need to try and do something to help them.” He saw she didn’t understand what he was getting at, so he tried to clarify things. “In order to make yourself look less guilty.”
“Like what?” Rachel said.
“You can give us a sample of your blood,” Bart said.
Rachel laughed hysterically. “You must be out of your mind. I’m not going to give you a blood sample.”
“Well, are you sure you don’t have any more of those chupa cocktails lying around, then?” Bart said.
“What are you, cops?” Rachel said.
“You know better than that,” Bart said.
“Do I?” Rachel said. “Let’s see now, where did I put that last chupa cocktail? I did save one, you know. Maybe I saved it for you and Jenna.”
“Is that true?” Bart said.
Rachel smiled at Bart. “No. I couldn’t care less about you and Jenna.” She leaned back against the wall and reached into the top of her strapless dress. “Maybe I’ll finally find out why the ‘common’ folks like their chupa stuff so much.” She pulled a small test tube out from her bra and held it up for Bart and Jenna to see.
Before Bart and Jenna could reach her, Rachel had removed the stopper from the test tube and swallowed its entire contents. Jenna turned to Bart with a cold, hard look on her face and spoke.
“Go run the water in the bathtub, dog.”
Bart took Jenna’s cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number five as he was walking to the bathroom. While filling the tub, he waited and listened for other orders.
“Are you going to give us a blood sample, Rachel?” Jenna said.
“Jeremy step out of the bathroom, keep out of the way, but stay close,” Rachel said.
As soon as he’d stepped into the hallway, Jenna walked by, guiding an extremely unsteady Rachel into the bathroom.
“Hey, Jeremy,” Rachel said.
Jenna looked at Bart, then turned to Rachel and slammed her head into the side of the bathtub with a strength Bart didn’t know she had. Rachel collapsed over the tub, her head in the water. Bart jumped, but didn’t say anything. Reaching into her foam bag, Rachel pulled out a large syringe, located a vein in Rachel’s neck, and jabbed the syringe into it. After filling it with Rachel’s blood, Jenna removed the syringe and put it back in her bag. She checked Rachel for a pulse, then turned to Bart.
“She’s dead,” Jenna said, then she took Bart’s arm and led him down the hall toward the front door. “Go back to your apartment and get in bed… now.”
They both left Rachel’s apartment, Jenna locked the door behind them, then ran toward the front of the complex. Bart saw her get into a waiting black car and leave as he was heading toward the stairs.
He was numb when he got into bed next to Reese. It had all been carefully planned out by Jenna and someone else. He’d already known that it might come to something like this, but to see it, and see how Jenna carried it off so cooly, without any emotion, was slightly mind-boggling. She had to, though, if it was going to come across right. Rachel just wouldn’t help at all. Not of her own free will. Now she was dead, face down in her bathtub. The chupa cocktail would’ve probably killed her anyway. He had to hope and pray that the blood sample would give his mother’s medical team the answers they needed. The excitement of the evening finally helped put him to sleep.
The sound of someone pounding loudly on the door woke Bart. Is it morning already? He thought. Looking at the clock let him know that it was already nine-thirty in the morning. After getting up from bed and slipping some boxers on, he went to the door. It was James. That’s when Bart remembered the Mr. Orion plan, and wondered what had gone wrong there. James rushed in as soon as Bart opened the door.